- "Why could thou not let us be? Didst thou not see why Ariamis created this world?"
- — Priscilla, the Crossbreed
- "なぜ、そっとしておいてくれないのです… そのための、このエレーミアス世界なのでしょう？
Why didn't you leave me alone...? This was the purpose of Eremias' world, wasn't it?" - — Half-Dragon Priscilla (Japanese)
Crossbreed Priscilla (Japanese: 半竜プリシラ, Hepburn: Hanryū Purishira, lit. 'Half-dragon Priscilla') is an optional boss found in the Painted World of Ariamis and a character in Dark Souls. She is initially non-hostile and will ask the player to leave the world without fighting.
Her soul can be used to ascend a +10 Halberd or Whip into the Lifehunt Scythe. As with other dragon bosses, the player can also obtain a special weapon, Priscilla's Dagger, by cutting off her tail during combat.
Description[]
Priscilla is a humanoid half-dragon roughly five meters tall. Her skin is extremely pale, her hair is stark white and she has a patch of fur beneath her hairline resembling an exaggerated widow's peak. This fur is framed by a row of small white spikes just above her brows.
She has a fluffy white articulate tail with draconic proportions that emerges between two layers of her gown, which is of the same furry texture. She is capable of turning invisible and walks barefoot despite the snowy terrain.
She speaks very softly, and attempts diplomacy with those who invade her world but prominently carries a large scythe capable of absorbing the life of her opponents for self-defense.
Lore[]
Dark Souls[]
Priscilla is a crossbreed of a dragon—most likely Seath—and an unknown woman,[1] likely a result of Seath's numerous experiments in his search for immortality.[2][3][4][5]
She was feared by the gods of Anor Londo and treated as an abomination[6][7] due to her body being naturally infused with the occult power capable of killing them.[8][9] She also possessed life-hunting powers, leading her lineage to identify her as "antithetical" to the order and life of the gods.[6][10]
Her mere existence considered a "taboo",[11] Priscilla was eventually banished from the realm of the Gods, and sealed away inside the cold and lonely Painted World, created by Ariamis with the purpose of granting her seclusion.[12] The Painted World came to be protected by an order of Painting Guardians—such was the perceived threat she posed to the reigning Gods.[13] Anor Londo benefited from the Painted World as a prison for all things unwelcome in their realm; as a place to seal away dangerous artifacts, abominations, sinners and Hollows. Eventually Velka, following from her role as the Goddess of Sin, spread her influence inside the Painted World. Dozens of her cultist followers found refuge there, and potentially endeavored to protect Priscilla from the other Gods.[14][15][16]
By the time she meets the Chosen Undead, Priscilla has come to see herself as a guardian of the Painted World, which she characterizes as "peaceful," with "kind" inhabitants. She pities those trapped within the painting, as the outside world has treated them with hate and locked them away, like herself.[12][17] She is not hostile to visitors from the outside world unless provoked, and will only ask them to leave in peace because they don't belong in there; she will also deny anyone interested in her.[12]
Dark Souls III[]
At some point Priscilla would become the "Lady" of the Painted World and its inhabitants,[18] continuing to welcome the forlorn who were led into the cold world by the heretical tales of corvian storytellers.[19] She gifted them great scythes[18] in the image of her very own Lifehunt Scythe which would come to symbolize a distant nostalgia for the Painting natives.[20] The humanoid corvians who found refuge in the Painting formed a small village, complete with knights and a library,[21] where they developed a proficient understanding of the First Flame and the Dark Soul.[22] Whenever their world showed signs of corruption, they used the Flame to "restore" the Painting, to avoid the fate of the stagnating outside world.[22][23] For this purpose a "Father" was chosen among the corvians, who presided over the Flame in the Painted World to burn it when the time was right,[24] and whose successor would prepare the next painting by restoring it.[23]
Priscilla likely became the progenitor of a line of World Painters, the extant one possibly her own daughter, to whom she imparted her advanced knowledge on the First Flame and the Dark Soul.[25][26] The current Painter seemingly has the ability to harness the Flame and the pigment of the Dark Soul to create Painted Worlds.[27][28][29][30]
Theories[]
- It is possible to theorize that Gwyn had a relationship with Priscilla and from their union Gwyndolin was born, the last son of the king of the gods.
- Gwyndolin is the last child of Gwyn[31] but Yorshka, a half-dragon, is his younger sister,[32] confirming that they share a mother. Since both siblings possess draconic traits, their common mother should have possessed draconic traits herself for them to inherit them partially.[33][34][35]
- Gwyndolin's proficiency in moon sorceries[36][37] can be explained by him having inherited the unique magic of Seath's moonlight,[38] a peculiar trait given the lineage of Gwyn otherwise connected to the power of the Sun.
- Gwyndolin's final thoughts of a "white girl", as he was devoured by Aldrich, allow the creation of a miracle that replicates the Lifehunt Scythe of Priscilla;[39] as miracles are tales of the gods, it would mean that Gwyndolin had a special relationship with Priscilla and remembered her before his demise.
- Gwyndolin's legitimacy as a deity came only from the fact that he was the son of King Gwyn,[36] implying that his matrilineage alone would not have had him considered among the deities, as she was not one.
- Gwyndolin being Priscilla's son, as she was hated and feared by the gods,[6][7][10] would explain why Gwyn would dress, educate and raise him to be a female,[37][40] as the king of the gods would not have wanted him to be able to ascend the throne with his dangerous lineage.
- Although it is considered a popular theory, Priscilla is unlikely to be the daughter of Seath and Velka for several reasons:
- Priscilla's body is biologically infused with occult power[11] capable of killing gods.[9] Velka, although capable of manipulating this power to infuse the weapons of her priests,[41] shouldn't possess it naturally, as it is improbable for a member of the race of gods to be infused with a power capable of killing them.
- Priscilla possesses the power of lifehunt,[6] similar to that of the lifedrain power of the Dark Hand of ancient humans,[42] a power that was not in possession of the gods and that they feared.
- Priscilla was considered an abomination, a taboo and "antithesis of every lifeform".[6][10] This indicates that her mother is unlikely a deity, the embodiment of the order of life of the world governed by Gwyn's clan, making the crossbreed the antithesis of "life" as she is descended from dragons and humans and thereby completely opposed to the race of the gods.
- Priscilla is considered an abomination and feared by the gods,[6][10] but Shira, legitimate daughter of the Duke and a deity[43] had been legitimized and knighted under the service of Gwyn's last daughter, suggesting that if the crossbreed had been the daughter of a deity, even if out of Seath's marriage, the reaction of the gods may have been more moderate.
- Seath's obsession was to become immortal by finding an alternative to his lack of Dragon Scales,[44] as demonstrated by his experiments on humans like the Man Serpents and the Pisacas. Consequently, having an illegitimate daughter with a goddess, who although strong remains mortal unlike "Undead", would hardly serve to achieve his goal.
Artifacts[]
Strategies[]
- It is wise to move into position prior to starting, since she is initially neutral. If Priscilla's Dagger is desired, it is recommended to go for her tail first, as there will be an opportunity to get a few free hits in before she attacks.
- She will become invisible as soon as she is attacked. When she is invisible, the most reliable way to determine her location is to watch for the large footprints that she leaves behind in the snow. Care should be taken, since approximately half of the staging area is not covered in snow.
- If Priscilla is hit with any Pyromancies or fire dealing weapons, she will reappear more quickly. Also, if the player successfully hits her with an arrow or a Throwing Knife, they will stick to her body for a while, revealing her position.
- Priscilla's attacks can inflict Bleed at an alarming rate. It is advisable to equip items that reduce bleeding status and have plenty of Bloodred Moss Clumps ready.
- The Bloodbite Ring is especially effective for reducing any Bleed buildup inflicted upon damage.
- Players should re-position themselves when Crossbreed Priscilla strafes the player in an attempt to flank them. Players or summons that have aggroed Crossbreed Priscilla and turn their back on her while trying to gain some distance can get easily stun-locked by her combo attacks and will certainly die if the Bleed meter is filled.
- Once you initiate the fight, if you lock on while she's turning invisible, your targeting reticle will briefly follow her when she jumps away from the spot she turns invisible. This can grant you an opportunity to turn her visible quickly, provided you can stagger her in one shot (such as with a powerful Great Combustion).
- A common problem players have while looking to cut off Priscilla's tail is that they may be too strong, killing her before they can break her poise.
- She will turn visible again when her Poise is broken. If players miss cutting her tail while she is non-hostile, finding a weapon that deals high poise damage that is unupgraded will help make her visible. Players can then switch back to their regular weapon and resume trying to chop her tail off.
- Another simple workaround consists of attacking her with arrows. After about three or four successful hits, Priscilla will turn visible again. Additionally, those arrows that have connected will stick to her body, giving away her position and making it easier to connect more hits.
- An alternate method consists of using the Dragonslayer Greatbow, which guarantees staggering Priscilla, turning her visible with just one hit, even if the player doesn't have the required stats to wield the weapon properly.
Boss information[]
Attacks[]
Single Slash[]
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Attack Type | Status | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
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| 360 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Slash | Bleed: 80% | No | Both | Medium |
This is a single attack that has good forward range and tracks quite well to both sides. While it is fairly damaging, it can be blocked but not parried. This attack also causes Bleed upon hitting or being blocked.
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Double Slash[]
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Attack Type | Status | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 490 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Slash | Bleed: 80% | No | Neither | Medium |
Virtually the same as the Single Slash, but with two slashes instead, once from right to left and then left to right. There is a large gap between attacks, and can also track the player.
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Fairy Dust[]
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Attack Type | Status | Parryable | Tracking | Speed |
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| 0 | 432 | 0 | 0 | Normal | None | No | Both | Medium |
After a short delay, Priscilla blows a concentrated cloud of blue particles directly in front of her or in a sweeping motion. The resulting cloud lingers for a few seconds afterward. This attack deals a large amount of damage and is difficult to block.
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Invisibility[]
Priscilla turns invisible, whilst still being able to attack the player. Leaves large footprints in the snow.
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Defenses[]
| Physical Defenses | Elemental Defenses | Resistances | |||||||
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| 324 | 324 | 324 | 324 | 225 | 195 | 195 | A | A | C |
These stats are sourced from FuturePress's Official Dark Souls Strategy Guide.
Drops[]
| Item |  Soul of Priscilla |
 Priscilla's Dagger |
| Drop Rate | Guaranteed | Sever Tail |
Dialogue[]
| Click to see dialogue (contains spoilers) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Notes[]
- If she is hostile to the player, attempting to leave by jumping off the ledge will result in death instead of exiting the Painted World. The only two ways to leave the world if she is hostile is to kill her, as it is impossible to warp out of the Painted World with the Lordvessel or to not have used the bonfire in the Painted World, so that the player can warp out with the use of the Homeward Miracle or a Homeward Bone. However, Homeward and Homeward Bones can only be used to exit the Painted World if it was entered by warping with the Lordvessel, as using either after entering through the painting sends the player to the bridge at the start of the area.
- Priscilla cannot be attacked while in her vanishing animation. This should be taken in consideration by players looking to cut off her tail.
- Having sins absolved by Oswald of Carim will return her to neutral disposition, enabling the player to cut her tail, as well as keeping the Painted World as a place for invasions if desired.
- The visual effect of Poison or Toxic can be used to track Priscilla when she's invisible. Striking her with Lightning weapons will also produce a visual effect indicating her location.
- A Dark Souls III character named Yorshka resembles Priscilla in her general appearance, her draconic features, and her voice. She also shares Priscilla's associations with snow, incarceration, Anor Londo, and the Darkmoon covenant. Yorshka is friendly to the player and incapable of combat.
Trivia[]
- Priscilla's name (プリシラ) shares the same kanji with Shira's name (シラ).
- Priscilla's mentioned title in Dark Souls III uses the kanji "絵画の主" that can be literally, gender neutrally, translated as "Lord of the Painting".
- According to a developer interview, Crossbreed Priscilla was initially meant to become the main heroine, similar to the Maiden in Black and Emerald Herald, and she was originally meant to be present in Firelink Shrine. However, this role was scrapped and replaced by the characters known as Firekeepers.[45]
- Priscilla has unique and unused sitting and standing animations,[46] probably left over from her previous iteration as a friendly character.
- She is voiced by Clare Corbett, who also voiced the Undead Female Merchant and Gwynevere, Princess of Sunlight.
Gallery[]
Music[]
Achievements/Trophies[]
References[]
- ↑ Soul of Priscilla Japanese translation: "Soul of Priscilla, the white half-dragon, trapped inside the Painted World of Ariamis. ..." highlights her pale skin, evoking imagery of the famed Paledrake Seath, known for his experimentation in crossbreeding; and "...Use the soul of this half-dragon, children of an adultery and antithesis of every lifeform to acquire a huge amount of souls, or to create a unique weapon." underlines Priscilla's birth out of wedlock
- ↑ Soul of the Moonlight Butterfly description.
- ↑ Pisaca drops and appearance and Archive Tower Giant Cell Key description
- ↑ Serpent Soldier#Trivia
- ↑ Undead Crystal Soldier#Trivia
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Lifehunt Scythe description.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Peculiar Doll description.
- ↑ Priscilla's Dagger deals Occult damage meaning that Priscilla's body naturally contains Darkness
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Dark Ember description.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Soul of Priscilla description.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Priscilla's Dagger description.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Crossbreed Priscilla dialogue.
- ↑ Painting Guardian Set description.
- ↑ Painted World of Ariamis#Items
- ↑ Vow of Silence, Ring of Sacrifice and Velka's Rapier drop inside the Painted World.
- ↑ File:Statue.png
- ↑ Dark Souls Design Works interview (archived May 2022), Miyazaki: "I always thought of the Painted World as a place where things go to escape and the bird men are no different. They were originally designed as worshippers of the Goddess Velka whose bodies were warped by their devotion. I think this obsession makes them really interesting characters."
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Great Corvian Scythe description (Japanese).
- ↑ Storyteller's Staff description.
- ↑ Friede's Great Scythe description.
- ↑ Contraption Key description.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Forlorn Corvian Settler dialogue: "I can hear the crackling from here. The sound of my home, the painting of Ariandel, burning away..." and "When the world rots, we set it afire. For the sake of the next world. It's the one thing we do right, unlike those fools on the outside."
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Rose of Ariandel description.
- ↑ Forlorn Corvian Settler dialogue: "But that witch fooled the good Father, and buried the flame. After we had all made up our minds, too."
- ↑ The Painter dialogue: "'Those who aren't ken to fire cannot paint a world. Those absorbed by fire, must not paint a world.' Don't worry, I haven't forgotten, Mother..."
- ↑ The Painter appearance.
- ↑ Slave Knight Gael dialogue: "... Now, Ashen One, I have a kindness to ask of you. My lady lives in the cold land or Ariandel. I need you to show her flame. A proper flame, that will burn the rot away."
- ↑ Forlorn Corvian Settler dialogue: "... My Lady must see Flame, and you have only to show her."
- ↑ The Painter dialogue: "...Ashen One, thy gift of flame has taken root. And Uncle Gael will soon bring the pigment. Pigment coloured like the dark soul of man."
- ↑ Blood of the Dark Soul description.
- ↑ Darkmoon Seance Ring description.
- ↑ Yorshka's Chime description and Company Captain Yorshka dialogue.
- ↑ Dark Sun Gwyndolin appearance shows snakes coiled around his body, an expression of his draconic lineage but incompletely expressed in the form of serpents, the symbol of incomplete dragons (SeeCovetous Gold Serpent Ring).
- ↑ File:Gwyndolin_Ingame.jpg
- ↑ File:Yorshka_(2).jpg
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 Tin Darkmoon Catalyst description.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Moonlight Set description.
- ↑ Moonlight Greatsword (Dark Souls) description.
- ↑ Lifehunt Scythe (Dark Souls III) description and Lifehunt Scythe appearance.
- ↑ Reversal Ring description.
- ↑ Velka's Talisman description.
- ↑ Dark Hand description.
- ↑ Shira, Knight of Filianore dialogue and Shira's Set description.
- ↑ Darkmoon Knightess and Big Hat Logan dialogue.
- ↑ Interview with Dark Souls producer. (lines 267 and 268)
- ↑ Priscilla unused animations. Video by Crest.
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Footnotes[]
- ↑ Damage is listed per hit.